BIRD Successfully Concludes Flight Testing on the Indian Cheetah Helicopters

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Herzliya, Israel, September 2011 – BIRD Aerosystems Ltd. successfully concluded flight testing of the AMPS-M system on the Indian Cheetah helicopters.

The Indian project included installation of the AMPS-M self protection system on the Cheetah helicopters in a configuration that for the first time included six MILDS AN/ARR-60 sensors covering 360 degrees around the helicopter and protecting it from all directions aginst incoming MANPAD missiles.

The Cheetah helicopter combines the advantageous of the Alouette II & III with a few design changes made in order to allow this light weight aircraft to carry increased payload and operate in India’s high altitude terrain. The Cheetah can carry five passengers and has a skid type undercarriage . Over the years the Cheetah was specifically adapted to meet the Indian Army’s stringent requirements and over the last twenty years, HAL’s Helicopter Division produced hundreds of these helicopters for the Indian Air Force, Navy, Army and Coast Guard.